Monocle 24: Russia’s Latest Proposal Is A Non-Starter

On Wednesday afternoon, I spoke with Monocle 24’s The Briefing about the latest claimed Russian proposal for a political settlement of the crisis in Syria.

A draft document — summarized by Reuters but denied by the Russian Foreign Ministry — proposes an 18-month period for constitutional reform and then Presidential elections. The draft does not say whether or not President Assad will be allowed to stand for another term in office.

Listen from 15:20

Under the Russian plan — if it is authentic — Assad can stay in power for two years and then, after two years, he can stand in an election which may be far from free and fair to remain indefinitely.

There’s no way Saudi Arabia will accept this. Unnamed Western diplomats have already said they are not going to accept. So I think the Russians are playing at PR and trying to press the West rather than making a legitimate effort to end the conflict.

About The Author

Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView. He is a specialist in US and British foreign policy and international relations, especially the Middle East and Iran. Formerly he worked as a journalist in the US, writing for newspapers including the Guardian and The Independent and was an essayist for The New Statesman before he founded EA WorldView in November 2008.